prosperity preachin'

I've been hearing about Creflo Dollar and his wife Tammy for ages. So it's kinda surprising that the Times just ran an article on him and the "prosperity gospel" phenomena (linked to above). Prosperity gospel is loosely described as "God wants you to be rich." So if you make money, you must be doing right. Well, aside from the obvious problems with that (uh, hello? totally does not query the means of making money), my all too human habit of inferring the opposite from any statement makes me think that this doctrine is saying that if you are poor, you ain't right with god. Now, that seems odd, since jesus said "blessed are the poor" or something like that. But maybe he was just playing to the masses (no pun intended) at the time.

Seriously though, i understand that this "gospel" comes as a natural extrapolation of the notion that god will provide. Jesus also said "I come that not only that you have life, but that you have it more abundantly" or something like that (i can't really quote the bible right. Although I grew up having it crammed down my throat, it's been years since i memorized any of it, and i don't have one at present), and that could be interpreted to mean that you have money more abundantly (but "life" isn't really money, is it?). But the whole thing is suspect because it is way too simplistic, i.e. doesn't take into account the disparities in society that create lack of wealth, etc. I remember when I was a dancer, occassionally I'd try to read a self help book with a loud, sweaty, exitable title something like "you can get what you want!!!" or "10 secrets to absolute success!!" (I'd hide them though. Usually under a comic book). They were all the same, some good notions aimed at changing your mind and empowering you, but in the end given to all too simplistic, all too unexamined, all too obviously illogical platitudes "proved" with ridiculous examples. I couldn't get into the self-help thing.

Religion and self help always have had an uneasy relationship as far as i'm concerned, i mean religion does "help", i'm sure, but if you REALLY think about it, what's good from a universal POV (which is supposedly what religion has) is not necessarily good for YOU as an individual. OR, conversely, you may not even recognize what's really good for you. The flat screen TV and hummer may be BAD for you, and maybe even in ways that are pretty direct.

Anyway, I'm ranting. Guess it's a slow day in bloggrrilla land.